Sunday, September 11, 2016

Exciting Stuff!

Oh MY it has been too long. Listen to this great tune from Sing Street and Let me explain. No, there is too much, let me sum up:

Here’s some of what has happened since I last wrote:
*Construction on the Coffee Shop--nearly finished!
*Conversation Games in my classes helped boost fluency, but now we are in need of more games...a few classes are starting to get lazy!
* Restorative Discipline helped my 6:30 class start to treat each other more civilly.
*Got Engaged officially! This one needs some more explanation, so I will write more below.
* Peace Camp in Jeju was a great experience. I made great friends, learned a lot about the history of Jeju, participated in an anti-naval base protest, walked in the Grand March for Life and Peace, and ate abalone porridge made by some of Jeju’s famous women divers.
* Making little mailboxes and writing encouraging notes to each other has helped a student in my 4:30 class gain confidence and begin improving in her language skills
* Teacher transition finished It has been a bit strange and sad  to say goodbye to so many: Michaela, Karen and Matt, Christina and Ben. But  the arrivals of Mark, Graeme, and Amanda, with Anna and Austin has helped ease the pain. I guess I always feel pleasantly surprised at how friends can be made so quickly. Looking forward to a year working with these cool cats!
* Have felt both challenged and encouraged about my Korean speaking ability.

Some further explanation of the most exciting part of this blog:

So…. yes! Engaged officially! Yoonseo asked me to marry him early one morning at the end of July. He wanted to wake me up and surprise me, but I was already awake...trying to catch a mosquito in my room. He asked me, and right after I said yes, the mosquito buzzed by and we both reached out to grab it and squashed it together. Unromantic? Yes. Hilarious and completely us? Yes! Haha. I’m feeling so excited, even though we’ve known for a while that we were planning to get married at the end of this year. I guess with a proposal it feels more real to me...I guess it’s a cultural thing. So, in the midst of wedding planning! A lot of work, but it’s kind of fun too. The date for the celebration in Korea is December 3, and it is looking like the celebration in the U.S.A will be January 1st. I’m so excited to share this happy time with friends and family across oceans! Please pray for us as we prepare for a wedding, look for apartments and most of all, prepare for married life!

I will try to be better about posting blogs and photos...busy busy here! But, at least since it has been a long time, I have gathered quite a few great quotes from the community, so enjoy!


Recently Reading:
The Waves by Virgina Woolf
H is for Hawk by Helen McDonald
The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller

Recently Watched:
Jiseul ( A film about the Jeju Massacre)
Rise of the Guardians
Brooklyn 99
Jason Bourne (2016)


Quotes from the Community:

Matt: “I love rabbits in clothes!”

Ben: “What about me! I want to look like a young democrat!”
Christina: “You’re drinking powdered deer horn?”
Sojeong: “Because I’m sick…”
Christina: “That isn’t a logical leap for me.”
Christina’s student talked about “Past Tense Friday” instead of “Last Friday.”

Mark: “Sometimes I like to pretend that I have an alien hand when I’m alone.”

Abby: “Ok Sandy, it’s your turn!”
Sandy: “Who are you and why?”
Woochan’s riddle:
Woochan: “I get older but I stay same size. What am I.”
Abby: A pen?
Woochan: “Trashcan.”

*after reminder that we aren’t going to pretend to shoot each other in class*
Abby: “Hyundo! Please no shooting!”
Hyundo: “Teacher this is glue gun.” *mimes putting in a glue stick.*
5 minutes later:
Abby: “Hyundo! Please no shooting!”
Hyundo: “Teacher! This is drill!” *mimes drilling into table.*

Abby: “When you grow up, where do you want to work?”
Hyundo: “I want to work in….a camping car!”

Shopping for a baby shower present:
Abby: “They don’t have many baby books here…”
Yoonseo: “Then buy the plastic dinosaur like I said.
Abby: “But babies might try to eat that, it’s dangerous.”
Yoonseo: “No, dinosaurs are healthy food. It’s ok.”

At Peace Camp:

Yoonseo: “Victoria and Christal, do you remember me?”
Victoria: “Yes.”
Yoonseo: “Good memory or bad?”
Victoria: “Good! You are funny guy!”
Yoonseo: “Not anymore. I got old.”
Victoria: “I got old too!”

Yoonseo: “Jeju is actually supported a lot by Chinese tourists, so it developed a lot.”
Wang Ying: “Oh! Then we better go shopping, to prove we are Chinese!”
Yoonseo: “Every question is a shopping ended question for you!”